Why is it wrong to smack the backside of an unruly and defiant child who will not respond to a raised voice?

Question

I am probably one of the few parents left who believes wholeheartedly that it is on occasions when a child has stepped way over the boundary of acceptable behaviour - and believe me kids will do so without it being the parents fault - that a swift skelp on the butt goes a long way to instill a healthy sense of respect - nothing wrong with a tinge of fear as it is fear of the consequences that stops most of us breaking the law.

Answer 1

It's not.
It's simply the PC police concerned we will all physically abuse our kids and resort to using weapons on them when we get bored with our palms.

Because of some well-intentioned, but completely insane people, it is 'wrong' because they seem to think chastisement will lead all children to become serial killers or something similarly absurd.
Funny really, 'cos due to a generation being told they cannot smack their kids, those kids have generally grown up with little to no concept of authority or respect and have caused great burden on societies.
I do however, see smacking ones child as a last resort and it should never be a regular occurance, as the less you do it, the more impact it has as a tool for discipline for the child.
Ask any adult who was not disciplined as a child and who went off the rails, the majority will tell you, if being truthful, that they wished they had been smacked, or at the least, shouted at and shown the correct way to interact with society.

I have only ever had to smack my Son once or twice in his life. I complimented those with educating him about right and wrong, respect for all life, justice, love, etc...So far, he has on repeated occasions been called a credit to his parents and exceeds his targets in school. He is very popular, refuses to swear, even around his friends and has a strong moral code within him.
I see no wrong in the use of an OCCASIONAL smack, if nothing else works. In nearly every case, I only have to tell my Son WHY something was wrong, for him to never repeat his action(s).
Ultimately, in most cases, it is the fault of the parents' lack of abilities to parent or proper attention towards their kids, that causes unruly and anti-authoritarian behaviour.

Answer 2

Its not wrong in my opinion and this is why i feel the way i do.
Modern society has and is breeding unruly disruptive and destructive children with no concept of behaviour, manners or community. Because we have no way of teaching any form of discipline because of our 'Nanny State'. Society and the Police have to pick up the pieces of such short sighted ideals. Sure, don't beat the little blighter to a pulp. Thats blatant abuse, but to correct an unruly child has no detrement to the child, indeed, it brings home the need for respect for onesself and that of your parents and the other people you as a child are embarrasing with such bad behaviour.
Good for you if you practise reasonable punnishment. The Tory Party used to practise a thing for teenage offenders in the 1980's called 'The Short Sharp Shock'. The teenage crime rate dropped. I wonder why, and i hated Thatcher and still do. But we need to get some of that thinking back otherwise we as a nation will be over run by thugs intent on ruining our once great country.

Answer 3

I don't think it's wrong at all. The only circumstances in which it would be wrong are a) if the child is younger than about 2 1/2 or 3 (basically, the child has to be old enough to know WHY you're paddling his butt) and b) If you go overboard and actually beat the child. I don't think there's a thing wrong with spanking a child's butt with your hand...especially if it's truly warranted!

I read somewhere recently (Can't remember where though...probably here on Yahoo! Answers, lol) that Dr. SPock's (the guy who said spanking is wrong) son committed suicide as a teenager. I'm betting he's wishing now he had spanked his kid.

Answer 4

There is definitely nothing wrong with it.
I was very occcasionally as a child and I am now a well-rounded 22 year old.
I think the high crime rates are due to kids' lack of respect.

I did some teaching in France for 8 months and the little B*stards had no respect for me... I think they all needed a good smack when they were growing up.

PS I'm not evil or harsh...just fed up of kids' behaviour.

Answer 5

I'd have to ask why children do step over boundaries. Often its a test to see how far they can go. To smack them might make you feel better and in control at the time but it does nothing positive for the childs later development. It is simply held against the parent in the deeper corners of the childs psyche, it equates the parent with fear and anger. This is often interpreted as respect! Repeated smacking will obviously lead to a very disturbed child.Kids do all sorts of things it's true, but in my experience if you have a good trusting relationship with them, and firm boundaries can talk to them and more importantly set a consistent and good example then smacking is irrelevant, not needed. Its all very well saying things like 'it never did me any harm.' But how do you know? You have nothing to compare it to.

Ofcourse there are psychological forms of abuse or abuse through neglect, often they go hand in hand with physical abuse like smacking. Many parents mean well, believing that what was good for them is good for their children. But this proves the point, hitting people just teaches people that hitting people is ok, an acceptable way to sort things out.

All forms of abuse should have dissappeared years ago, but then again so should wars, exploitation, slavery...people create their own problems and hand them on to the next generation, through ignorance, fear, emotional damage - smacking is just another expression of these things.

Answer 6

I don't think it is wrong. I used to get my bottom smacked every so often. I turned out just fine. I didn't become a child abuser. There is a difference between discipline and abuse and the government has created a generation of kids that is out of control (not all but many).

Answer 7

its not wrong theres too many do gooders now look at the way the kids are acting murdering people robbing vandalising they have no respect for anyone or anything all could be prevented with a bit of discipline from a young age in the home id didn't do me no lasting damage nor do i have any emotional trauma cos my mum smacked my bottie

Answer 8

I don't think it's wrong to pop a backside of an unruly child. I got whippings when I was a kid, and I grew up fine, with no long lasting trauma, and a deeper respect for my mother. I will readily admit that I deserved every one I got, and deserved a few more. Mama said that it hurt her to have to whip me. As a parent, I felt the same way when I whipped my son when he was a child. He is now a grown man, and thanks me for keeping him in line. Bear in mind that we are talking about whippings, not beatings. We strong willed individuals needed to know our boundaries, and we tested them to the fullest extent of our parents patience. :) I will remain ever thankful that she loved me, showed me affection, and whipped my @$$, to keep me moving in the right direction.

Answer 9

It is not wrong if you do not do it hard enough to hurt them. I can't count the times I did it to my kids to get their attention. Why the government tries to tell us how to raise our kids is beyond me. The discipline I got growing up was no joke! I turned out just fine and so did my kids!

Answer 10

Nothing is wrong with it. There is a huge difference between spanking and beating. I'm sick and tired of hearing that you'll teach the child violence! I was spanked, everyone I know was spanked, and we are all just fine, no killers, no abusers, and no one looks for fights.